When people stood up.. People like Holly, Alav, Kisanth and others, and said they would not obey the laws or the Council, I gave them what they wanted... Lawlessness. What more could a people want than a leader who gives them what they ask for ?You want a free Daris, Nobby Underfoot of the Council of Lords? If I read correctly, you want your version of Daris to come through? Does it, by any chance, have anything to do with your recent criminal activities in the past month, after the invasion of Daris?
When Paladins shirk the Law it's fine with you... When I do it to serve them the folly of their words, it's suddenly bad ? This is the problem with you at the helm Raef... You and your little Martial Band of Merry Men will time and time turn a blind eye in these recent days... I've been attacked on numerous occasions, but you aren't going after these assassins... Because they support you in this folly of yours. Oh, while you were locked away masterminding your next proclamation we had a Captain of the Talon visit us. Shame you can't manage to do anything about that.
Even more horrible when one of the three can't be bothered to meet with the other two who are working to get something done... instead he's busy reorganizing his brigade to take over like, oh, a thief.The council is inactive, three lords out of how many seats? 12? That's a horrible ratio for activity. Do the math.
I have now? I have been as active as possible, Underfoot. I've made almost as many replies as you and Palequine with regards to Council matters. During that time I had a Brigade to re-organize.
I proposed a poll to assign a new, firm number of seats... much was said there... but not by you.
You never weighed in on the votes... You have purposefully kept us in stagnation while you plot your own utopia... You make me sick with the double talk. I've heard these same old arguments over and over... and all from people in your camp who did exactly what you are doing... nothing for the people, everything for yourself.
Not above the law ? Who watches the watch ? When you attacked one of my men who hadn't attacked you I gave you a bolt to the back for it... Why didn't you clasp yourself in irons for that ? I've been struck down by members of the Redboots without commiting any offense... and I saw no punishment handed down, nor a stripping of rank... Only in your mind does a military force exist that should not be held to answer... A military that takes no orders from a High Command...? Very foolish indeed. The military exists in service to the King, the King who is the Land and the Law... In his absence the council has spoken on behalf of the king - But our words fall deaf on your ears.Beautiful command of the english language, however incorreclty it's being manipulated. The Brigade in not above the law, and any who breach it are dealt with as any other citizen - harsher even. We've removed men and women from our Brigade for breach of law and protocol. Our oath is important to us.
You serve the people by putting them to the sword ? You think yourself ABOVE the King ??? You are arrogant and terribly misguided... The Council was entrusted to write Law... normally this would be a King's decree... Dasaria was a democrcy... one man, one vote... That man was the King and he got the vote. Unfortunately war has caused the most recent House of Royal Lineage to abdicate in fear... There are other lines though, and Dynasties do change... I pray a strong line ascends the vacant throne soon.The Council has nothing to do with the king, it is not royalty, it never has been and it never will be. The Council, as is the Brigade, a service to the people. A reminder of who we are.
Don't lose track of the history Raef... I clawed my way out of a Varanite Prison to listen to the filth and drivel of some of the 'good" people of Dasaria shunning the law and putting those they disliked to the sword... That's when things went bad, and I went bad with them. When I have to listen to a paladin shun the law, then frankly I wonder why their gods don't abandon them.Describe Daris before Martial Decree. You'll find it very similar to what you've just described, except the hand that held the sword was infact thieves and criminals. I seek to put an end to that.
Odd... The Church of Nergal is... a religion. And there are members of that church who walk and breath just as you do... But the Knights of the Hin were here to attack members of that church.. and you yourself refuse them admittance into your precious little club... I'd call that oppression.I have never nor will I ever oppress those of race or religion. The undead fall under neither of those categories.
Show me the manual which tells the redboots how to enforce the law... Every encounter with them is a courting of chaos. Few and Far between have been the truly impartial ones.Sure, I'm all courts and magistrates. I question you though, when will we have time to preside over every single case? The Redboots have handled the law professionally and with great accuracy. Palequine had drafted two offenses, type one and type two. Each would be handled differently, one by a court and one by the Redboots. Major and minor crimes.
Stating Palequines drafts as fact would be negligent... Those classifications are but one of many things we had on the table to discuss... Held back only by your refusal to meet with us.
Fear not for the little children... You act "in their best interests" yet you have no idea what they want. Why Davi himself told me just th eother day he wants to be "just like me" when he grows up.Quote:
Nobby: This land of mine would not tolerate treason, nor zealots, nor Knights who care not if they put the sword to a Dasarian in front of a child...
Raef: We're close on this one Nobby, but I'd like to include "Rotting shambling corpses of soldiers you once knew paling the cheeks of children and installing fear into farmers and merchants alike."
Don't forgot that crossbow bolt you planted in my back. I think Sal was watching.
Oh, and Raef... For what it's worth... You're fighting a losing battle there. The dead outnumber the living and the odds get worse every day. Lord Maelstrom and I were brokering a solution to this issue... pity you couldn't be bothered with keeping an interest in the affairs of state. Send your redboots... When they fall Nergal will have more fodder to send against your ever dwindling army. Perhaps you could entice Holly to lead a "Joy Division" responsible for breeding new Redboots... keep her barefoot and pregnant and out of my sight.
The Church of Nergal is a religous sect... curiously, some of it's members breath, some do not. Many are loyal Dasarians. You seek to drive them out or be destroyed wholesale... Perhaps you could define "oppress" for me ?Again, let me point out I have not opporessed those of different religion nor race. The Undead fall under neither.
Ah... And a criminal would be anyone who does not submit to your rule ? Or is a criminal anyone not willing to engage in slaughter in the name of their god ? It certainly isn't paladinhoods who commit assassination, or the streets might be safe for once.My "targets" are Varanites and criminals. I want the Undead out of town for fear of our children and our townspeople, but they are hardly my targets.
But the people don't seem to want your rule.. in fact they much prefer freedom... so toddle off and go stand a vigil somewhere else... and yes you are.I wouldn't be here toiling for years in the Brigade trying to keep order and law together if I didn't care for the people I had sworn to protect. I have always protected my people, I will continue to do so, your lies dishonour the work we've done and I'm disgusting.
For the record would someone stand up and tell me when was the first time I became a thief ? I can tell you... After we returned from Varana's cells and these Self-righteous few, Paladins among them, had the gaul to say they would not be held accountable to the same laws we all had... That's the moment of truth Raef. They did not want law... and they did not like what it brought them.Lord Nobby Underfoot, you are a thief and the leader of the 'Ling Death Squad. While I respect your time spent in Dasaria fighting for her, you have a past of crime and continual defiance and disrespect of the Redboots. I am not surprised you'd be the first to strike out at us.
This has been a long orchestrated plot to shift the balance to those of that ilk... and you have become their pawn.
I strike at you and disrespect you because you follow their lead, you work in the background, saying on the one hand that the Council is ineffective, but admitting you were putting your time and energy elsewhere.
Gods help them anyway... they need it. As for failing..? Not at all... Thwarted yes, slandered...? Most definately. But through this all I have worked to promote the ideas that would bring us out of this. I could have used your help and voice, but nay...If people follow you, may the gods help them. I fear that they'll only be recieved by lies and deciet of a failing Lord of the Council.
Records are easy to produce when the one with the pen can never be written against... See how clean and shiny the Redboots are... Of course we can never know what goes on in their ranks... Even the Lords are denied access to see their reports and notes.So, make your choice Dasaria. The Law of the Redboot Brigade that has proven itself unbiased and strong in Dasasrian spirit, or Lord Nobby Underfoot, who with records as long as my arm makes promises that seem similar to our own, yet lie within his hands rather then yours.
The Law of the Redboot Brigade...? When did the brigade sit in session and draft a law..? You create Laws on the spot... you give orders for people to vacate the village... people who have every right to be there... Beware this ad hoc justice my friends... Do not walk into Dasaria if you are not a lover of Utu the Yahoo or Marduke the Mad... Step not there if you are a rogue, or can pay lip service to anything but one-dimensional, poorly concieved concepts of what is "lawfull" and what is "good"... And pray to whatever god you have, or having no god curse your unluck if you are not the utmost seasoned veteran... because they will strike you down in murder and "forget" that perhaps, just then, in bloodshed.. rage and cold blooded murder... in front of children... that they too are criminals ?
I thank you Raef for one thing... I no longer have to trudge to Talon to fight a war... The platemailed villains are right outside wearing shiny red boots.
